What kind of man will be blessed by God? I want us to look at a beautiful Psalm that will give us an answer to that question. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law he meditates day and night” (Psalms 1:1-2).

Notice the character of the righteous man. He does not walk with the wicked. He does not stand with the wicked. He does not sit with the wicked. In other words, he does not “hang out” with those who would tempt him to do wrong; this helps keeps him from taking part with them in any ungodly activity.

The influence of evil on us usually starts with just an association with the wrong kind of people. It then progresses to involvement and becoming part of who and what they are.

Paul told the Corinthians, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’” (I Corinthians 15:33). Hang out with the bad crowd, and you will become one of them!

Lot is one of the most obvious examples of this. When his herdsmen and Abraham’s herdsmen had a disagreement, Abraham suggested they go in different directions. Abraham gave Lot a choice, Genesis 13:12 says, “Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.”

He started out just going in the direction of Sodom; but when the angels were sent to warn him that the city would be destroyed, he was living in the city. He went from pitching his tent to moving into a house in the middle of the sin and corruption (Genesis 20).

Samson is another example of becoming involved with the wrong friends. His parents wanted him to marry a Jew, because God did not want the Israelites to marry outside their people. Samson began a relationship with Delilah; and through her evil agreement with the Philistines he was captured, lost his eyesight, and eventually died. He was simply hanging out with the wrong crowd (Judges 16).

The same principle applies in the choice of a date and ultimately a mate. Just look at the life of Solomon.

Solomon started out doing all the right things. When he became king, he showed his humility and his need for God by asking for wisdom. God was so pleased with Solomon’s attitude that He gave him not only wisdom but also wealth and power.

Because he began to “hang out” with the Egyptians, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites, he violated God’s commandments and married women from these nations. Look at God’s warning. “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods” (I Kings 11:2).

What God predicted, happened. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, and they turned him away from God.

Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, was guilty of having the wrong kind of friends. When he became king, he asked for advice from the wrong people.

The older, wiser men explained to Rehoboam that being a servant to the people and speaking kindly to them would win them over. They said the people would serve him willingly. However, Rehoboam sought the advice of the young men he liked to “hang out” with; and they gave him some bad advice. They told him to get tough with the people and put heavy burdens on them. This decision caused Israel to rebel, and the nation of God’s people changed forever.

Sometimes it isn’t friends that precipitate bad decisions. Sometimes it is a decision to “go along with the crowd.”

In the familiar story of the trials of Jesus, there is a passage that shows just how much influence a crowd can have.

Pilate had said he couldn’t find any reason to hold Jesus, much less kill Him. Scripture tells us, “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified” (Mark 15:15).

Pilate convicted an innocent man because of peer pressure, and this wasn’t the first time he had done this. Verse 8 says, “And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them.” They had control of the man that was suppose to be their ruler. How sad.

So we learn that the blessed man is one that does not walk, stand, or sit with those that don’t obey God. What about those that do?

“The wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Psalms 11:5-6).

We need to not waste our time with those that want to pull us away from things that are wrong. We need to meditate on God’s law day and night (Psalms 1:2).

Sandra Oliver